The Beatles began as a live pop band, playing simple, traditional pop songs. Then came Revolver, The White Album, and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, a huge transformation for the Fab Four, as they began to experiment with layered instrumentals, symphonies, and odd, strangely different style changes. Their career became concentrated on their studio work - what they could do creatively without the constraints and pressures of creating live material. Field Music has, in a way, done this in reverse - beginning their career with a complex multi-faceted, eponymous debut album, virtually impossible to play live without external help outside the trio of Andrew Moore and brothers Brewis, David and Peter. Their second and current album, Tones of Town, simplifies the Field Music sound, keeping the angular arrangements, rushed play, and layered instrumentation, but creating more performable and danceable songs.
“When we finished the first record there was not a lot of performance involved. It was very meticulous, and there was not a lot of us in it,” says lead singer and guitarist David Brewis. As with all debut albums, Field Music wanted to make something that would create a foundation for the band’s music. Field Music is filled with complex, layered sounds; piano, violin, cello, bass, guitar, keyboards, and a myriad of other instruments and noises permeate the structure of the entire album. Fervent, melodic pop perfection.
“A small bit of music can go on to be a lot of things. I don’t like to repeat things. Music can be immediately appealing, but the listener must be intrigued to listen on. There is more to music than just one listen,” Brewis continues. Complex pop of the Beach Boys and the angular non-repetitious song craft of Wire create a distinct and individual sound.
A complication, though, for that debut album explains Brewis. “We can only play a few songs off the debut live. The first album is very complex. If we were to play it live, it would sound very skeletal. These songs have so many instruments and sounds. As a three piece, the live sonic power we can generate is at a disadvantage compared to most bands. We want to play live, and give something to the audience.”
The production of the follow-up album, Tones of Town, has, therefore, been geared towards simplifying Field Music’s songs and creating songs that can be played live more readily without sacrificing the band’s signature sound. Says Brewis, “When setting out to record Tones of Town we were not trying to make songs to play live, just songs that sound more live. We had to limit the palette of sounds. The second album has no synths, and many of the songs are greatly driven by bass, clean electric guitar, acoustic guitar, drums, and pianos. We just had to narrow down the sound.”
Tones of Town does sound very different sonically, but no less creative than the debut. It’s much more rollicking, but does not lack the melodic melancholy and quirkiness of the first album. Even upon first listen, the album immediately sounds altered and different, yet very compelling. As Brewis has suggested, subsequent spins are required to unpack the changes and truly understand the alterations that have taken place. Like the debut, Tones of Town has an immediate appeal, but it is not pop flim-flam. It is innovative, diverse and highly creative pop music. The nervous friction on “Tones of Town,” the whimsy of “She Can Do What She Wants,” and the truly danceable “Working To Work” all assert the album’s spontaneity and versatility. Any timidity or meticulous obsessions on the debut have dissipated as Field Music has taken their music to a higher plane and become a much tighter unit.
“No one was looking out for the debut album. Now many are anticipating the new album. There are more expectations, more pressure to conform to these expectations and build on the commercial success. For us it’s all about the record. Plans don’t change when it comes out. We’re hopelessly obsessed by our music. Our goal is to just not get in any financial or moral debt.” Indeed, words of wisdom for the creative genius. No inhibitions, no distractions, just the music.
~ Wes Barker
Photo: Barney Britton
###
FIELD MUSIC's TONES OF TOWN is available now on Memphis Industries Records.
http://www.memphis-industries.com
http://www.fieldmusic.co.uk
Buy Album from CD Universe
